Careless or Reckless Operation

New Jersey law designates the following dangerous operating practices as illegal.

Careless or Reckless Operation of a vessel is operating in a manner that causes danger to the life, limb, or property of any person. Examples of careless or reckless operation include:

• Jumping a wake with a motorized vessel unreasonably close to another vessel
• Jumping the wake of any vessel that is towing a skier, wakeboarder, etc.
• Operating a vessel within any area marked off or set aside as a prohibited area
• Weaving your vessel through congested waterway traffic
• Operating a vessel in a manner that creates hazardous wave or wake conditions while approaching or passing another boat
• Approaching in a vessel or on water skis within 50 feet of a diver’s flag unless you are part of the diving operation
• Steering toward another object or person in the water and swerving at the last possible moment in order to avoid collision
• Chasing, harassing, or disturbing wildlife with your vessel
• Operating a motorized vessel that is equipped with a lanyard-type engine cut-off switch (ECOS) without the lanyard attached to the person, clothing, or personal flotation device (PFD) of the operator